Soil Remediation
MACTEC is pleased to offer radioactive soil sorting services using the advanced
technology of the Scanning Spectrometer Series (SS-Series) of instruments
developed by Shonka Research Associates. The platform-independent system
collects and processes the complete radiological spectrum using a suite of
gamma-ray detectors. The SS-Series is approved by both the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission (NRC) and the Environmental Protection Agency as having Final Status
Survey quality.
SS-Series Product Line
SS-Series products use scanning spectrometers and real-time computing processes
to evaluate the concentration of targeted isotopes. The detectors are available
as portable instruments that can be mounted onto a variety of mobile platforms,
or as fixed instruments that can survey material inside pipes or on conveyor
belts.
SS-Series products offer significant cost savings over conventional approaches in
three ways:
1. Faster processing reduces the project schedule
2. Accurate monitoring reduces waste and saves shipping and burial charges
3. Computerized processing and quality control reduce manpower requirements
MACTEC has several models of the SS-Series, all operated with a custom software
application called SPARTAN, which can operate up to four SS-Series detectors
simultaneously. SPARTAN can detect a variety of gamma energies simultaneously,
including potassium, thorium, and uranium. Depending on the derived site limits,
the system can survey 10 to 20 acres per day.
When integrated onto a conveyor, the SS-Series provides extremely rapid and
accurate monitoring and sorting of excavated material. This saves money in two
ways: First, sorting excavated material—instead of packaging and shipping
everything as waste—can save thousands per ton. Second, while other conveyor
monitoring methods typically process 30 tons per hour at $80 per ton, conveyor
mounted SS-Series systems can process up to 300 tons per hour at less than $20
per ton.
Versatile Turn-Key Solutions
While commonly used for power plant decommissioning and Technologically Enhanced
Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (TENORM) surveys, the versatility of
the SS-Series makes it ideal for nearly any large-scale volumetric survey with
gamma- or x-ray emitting isotopes of concern. Vehicle-mounted systems utilizing
four detector arrays, along with Noise Adjusted Singular Value Decomposition
(NASVD) post-processing, can survey open land more quickly than traditional
methods. The SS-Series has been used to survey and release hundreds of acres of
open land and over 350,000 tons of excavated material.
MACTEC’s turn-key solutions include excavation, sorting, disposal, and on-site
reconstruction of excavated land. Our senior health physics technicians, senior
geologists, soils engineers, and other staff can create a customized team for
the unique needs of each project. Existing on-site staff can also be trained to
operate the SS-Series systems.
Surveys can be designed to accommodate a variety of decommissioning activities,
and the work can even be done under MACTEC’s NRC mobile decommissioning
radioactive materials license to significantly reduce risk for the client or
owner. Whether a pre-designed survey, characterization, or final status survey
is needed, the SS-Series is the most advanced and cost effective tool available.
- SS-Series Features
- Aerial data mapping via GIS integration
- Automated report generation
- Automated sorting conveyor control
- Built-in QA/QC processing
- Configurable platforms
- Lower detection limits via FFT and NASVD filtering to post-process recorded data
- Real-time alarm capabilities
- Real-time waste stream monitoring to meet disposal criteria
- Remote monitoring, with data processing and analysis performed on- or off-site
- Up to 16 additional sensor inputs with real-time monitoring, including material
depth, density, moisture, temperature, speed, and GPS